Chikungunya Virus Infection: First Detection of Imported and Autochthonous Cases in Panama

Yamilka Díaz Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Jean-Paul Carrera Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Lizbeth Cerezo Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Dimelza Arauz Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Ilka Guerra Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Julio Cisneros Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Blas Armién Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Ana Margarita Botello Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Ana Belén Araúz Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Vladimir Gonzalez Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Yamileth López Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Lourdes Moreno Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Sandra López-Vergès Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Brechla A. Moreno Departments of Research in Virology and Biotechnology and Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama; School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama; National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama; Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama; Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama

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Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that was only endemic in Africa and south Asia until 2005 and 2006, when the virus spread into the Indian Ocean islands, Europe, and Asia. Autochthonous CHIKV transmission in the Caribbean islands was reported in December of 2013. In Panama, two febrile cases were detected in May of 2014: one traveling from Haiti, and the other traveling from the Dominican Republic. After other imported cases were detected, the first autochthonous case was reported in August of the same year. We detected CHIKV viral RNA and isolated the virus from serum samples. The phylogenetic analysis of the two imported isolates and one autochthonous CHIKV isolate indicated that the viruses belong to the Asian lineage in the Caribbean clade and are related to viruses recently identified in Saint Martin island, British Virgin Islands, China, and the Philippines. Although the circulating CHIKV lineages in the Americas have not yet been described, our results suggest that the Asian lineage is circulating in most American countries reporting autochthonous infection.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Brechla A. Moreno, Department of Research in Virology and Biotechnology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Justo Arosemena Avenue, 35th, Panama City 0816-02593, Panama. E-mail: bmoreno@gorgas.gob.pa
† Theses authors contributed equally.

Financial support: This study received financial support from the surveillance program of the Department of Research in Virology and Biotechnology. J.-P.C. is paid by Columbus University Contract CU-VIP-P-003-2014; S.L.-V. is paid by Secretaría Nacional de Ciencias, Tecnología e Inovación Panamá (SENACYT) Contract 71-2012-4-CAP11-003.

Authors' addresses: Yamilka Díaz, Dimelza Arauz, Ilka Guerra, Julio Cisneros, Sandra López-Vergès, and Brechla A. Moreno, Department of Research in Virology and Biotechnology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama, E-mails: yamilkavirus@gmail.com, dimarauz@gmail.com, ilkaguerra@yahoo.com, jygcisneros@cwpanama.net, lvsandral@gmail.com, and bmoreno@gorgas.gob.pa. Jean-Paul Carrera, Department of Research in Virology and Biotechnology, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama, and School of Medicine, Columbus University, Panama City, Panama, E-mail: jean1450@gmail.com. Lizbeth Cerezo, Ana Margarita Botello, and Lourdes Moreno, National Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama, E-mails: cerezolizbeth@gmail.com, anmbo@yahoo.com.mx, and lmorenocastillo@yahoo.com. Blas Armién, Department of Research in Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama, E-mail: blasarmien@yahoo.com.mx. Ana Belén Arauz, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Santo Tomas, Panama City, Panama, E-mail: anabelenarauz@gmail.com. Vladimir Gonzalez, Policentro de Parque Lefevre, Panama City, Panama, E-mail: drvagg@hotmail.com. Yamileth López, Centro de Salud de Rio Abajo, Panama City, Panama, E-mail: yamilopez11@hotmail.com.

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